Letter-file



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. A. 000KB, Jr.

LETTER FILE. N 0.'565,961. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

WITNESSES: fiM X ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

' W. A. 000KB, Jr.

LETTER FILE. F No. 565,961. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

mu l

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet a.

W. A. 000KB, Jr; LETTER FILE;

No. 565,961. PatentedAug.18, 1896.

WITNESSES: 'INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,961, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed November 18, 1895. Serial No. 569,304. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. CooKE, LIL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Files; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertai'ns to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of letter-files or paper-holders con sisting of parallel rings or arches formed of puncturing-wires and transfer-wires mounted on" a board or plate, and the arches adapted to be opened for the insertion or removal of a paper or papers without dist-urbin g the order of those remaining on the wires.

The object of my invention is to facilitate the puncturing of the papers by the puncturin g-wires and to provide a simple and eifective means for gaging the position of the punctures and registering the edges of the sheets of paper on the index side and insuring a full exposure of the index letters or characters.

The invention consists in a gage-plate hav ing perforations adapted to receive the puncturing-wires and a flange on one side and end for regulating the position of the paper with respect to the perforations and the index-characters, whereby all the papers on file will have their edges on the index side in register and equally distant from the indexcharacters, so thatthe latter will be fully visible and the index-sheet perfectly accessible. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a double-arch letter-file with an index and the gage-plate placed on the puncturing-wires over sheets of paper, (indicated by broken lines,) thus illustrating the position of the gage-plate and the sheets of paper with respect to each other and the puncturing-wires and index Fig. 2, a perspective view of the gage-plate. Fig. 3 represents the gageplate with a sheet of paper placed in position for puncturing and filing; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the file-index and gage-plate in the hands of the operator, illustrating the mode of manipulating a paper preliminary to puncturing and filing the same. Fig. 5

represents the device combined with a cover for the papers.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the transfer-wires of a paper-file; B, the puncturin g-wires O, the base-plate to which the said wires are attached; D, the base-board or tablet; E, the cover for the papers, and F the back to which the tablet or base-board and the cover are flexibly connected.

In the file represented the transfer-wires are fixed and the filing, puncturing, or receiving wires are movable to open the arch or rings, but this construction may be reversed, and it may be mentioned here that any form or construction of transfer paperfilesthat is, paper-files composed of arches or rings adapted to be opened or clos'edmay be used with my invention.

On the receiving or puncturing wires is placed an index G, composed of strips or sheets of paper alternately short and long, as a I), and of gradually-increasing width from the uppermost t0 the undermost strips. These strips of paper are strung on the said Wires, and on their ends at one side are printed or otherwise impressed the index-letters or other characters, as shown.

The index shown and described is of the double-column form, showing two parallel rows of index-characters; but it is obvious that the ordinary separate sheet-index with column or columns of index-characters, and 9 the flange or guide thus lies between the indexcharacters and the adjacent perforation g.

The distance of the flanged end from the end of the shorter index-strip a should be about the same as the end of this strip is from the end of strip b.

i The device is used in the following manner:

ZOO

When a paper is to be placed on the file, the arches are opened (see Fig. 4) and the gageplate removed. The topof the paper is then placed under the gage-plate with its edges against the flange f, where it is held firmly between the thumb and forefinger, as shown in Fig. 4. The plate and paper thus held are carried to the wires B B, and when the holes 9 g are in line with the puncturing-wires the plate and paper are pressed down, whereupon the sharp-pointed wires pass through the papers and holes, as indicated by the dotted lines, and the puncturing and filing of the paper on the receiving-wires are, simultane-' ously effected. The tops of the wires and the holes form together a punch between which the paper is punctured, and while none of the paper is cut out the edges of the holes crease the paper, so that the wires pass through without splitting the paper or making ragged edges, and when the plate is pressed down on the paper after it has been placed on the wires the slightly-raised bur in the hole is smoothed down. Furthermore, the paper, being placed against the under side of the gage-plate and held taut, is supported by the plate against the pressure of the puncturingwires, and it is impossible to puncture the paper in the wrong place, as the plate prevents the wires from passing through the paper at any other point or points except in line with the holes g g, and the tautness of the paper prevents tearing around the edges of the perforations. The distinguishing utility of this device, however, consists in its making it possible to file all the papers with their edges on the index side and at the top in perfect register and at a proper distance from the index-characters to prevent their obscuration. The flange f prevents the slightest deviation of the edges from the true line, and the perforations regulate the distance of the edges of the papers from the index. This can be readily seen from Fig. 3, where the position of the paper represents the position of every other sheet of paper filed by this ap paratus.

A modification of the device is represented by Fig. 5, which may be used as a substitute for that heretofore described. This consists of a plate I-I, provided with the puncturingholes 9 g, located, as heretofore described, at such a point that the end of the plate next to the index-characters will be at such a distance from said characters as to leave them fully exposed. The upper edge of the plate may or may not be provided with a flange, and the end flange may be entirely omitted. A cover I is attached to the lower edge of the plate in any suitable manner and in such relation thereto that it will not extend to the holes 9 g, which are thus left of the thickness of the plate only and the sharpness of their edges is retained. The cover I protects the papers on the file and in ameasure holds them down fiat. In the use of this modification the paper is placed against the under side of the plate, as heretofore stated, and adjusted to position by means of the upper and end edges of the plate and held firmly while being punctured. If desired, when the end flange is omitted the end of the plate may extend nearer to the index-characters and a guide -mark a; made on the surface of the plate to indicate the position at which the side edges of the papers must be placed preparatory to puncturing.

I claim 1. As" an improvement in paper-files the combination with puncturing and receiving wires and index-sheets strung thereon, of a gage-plate provided with puncturing-perforations to receive the said wires and a guide on the end of the plate between the index-characters and the adjacent perforation in the plate, whereby when papers are placed on the receiving-wires by means of the said gageplate as described their side edges register with each other and do not overlie the indexcharacters substantially as specified.

2. The combination with puncturing and receiving wires and index-sheets strung thereon of a gage-plate provided withpuncturingperforations to receive the said wires and a flanged guide on the end of the plate between the index-characters and the adjacent perforation in the plate, whereby when papers are placed on the receiving-wires by means of the said gage-plate as described the side edges are made to register with each other and are prevented from overlapping the index-characters substantially as specified.

3. The combination with the puncturing and receiving wires and index-sheets strung thereon of a gage-plate provided with puncturing-perforations, to receive the said wires and cooperate therewith, to perforate the papers guides on one side edge and the end of the plate, the guide on the end of the plate being between the index-characters and the adjacent perforation in the plate, whereby when papers are placed on the receivingwires by means of the plate, as described, the side edges of the papers are made to register and are prevented from overlapping the index-characters, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. COOKE, JR.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, CHAs. E. NETERES. 

